Summary
- Death Eaters are loyal followers of Lord Voldemort and believed in his extreme Pure-Blooded ideology.
- They practiced the Dark Arts and frequently used Unforgivable Curses, such as the Cruciatus Curse.
- Bellatrix Lestrange is considered the most famous and twisted member of the Death Eaters, known for her murderous and sadistic actions.
The evil Death Eaters are a hugely memorable part of the Harry Potter franchise. The group's members are known for their extreme Pure-Blooded ideology and for being devoted followers of Lord Voldemort. However, many Harry Potter fans may not know the extensive history behind the Death Eaters.
This ensemble of evil witches and wizards were particularly prominent during the First Wizarding War, as well as the Second Wizarding War. Dressed in black cloaks and branded with the Dark Mark, many memorable Harry Potter characters were actually Death Eaters. Voldemort’s followers were originally introduced in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but how long has the group been around, and who is the most famous Death Eater?
Who Are the Death Eaters?
As previously mentioned, Death Eaters are renowned for being loyal followers of the Lord Voldemort. They fought to place the Dark Lord in a position of power, supporting his bigoted Pure-Blooded ideology. Each Death Eater would be branded with the Dark Mark – a distinctive symbol on their forearm which could be used to summon Lord Voldemort.
The Dark Lord’s followers would frequently practice the Dark Arts and would often use the Unforgivable Curses against their targets. For example, the Death Eaters famously tortured Neville Longbottom’s parents with the horrific Cruciatus Curse.
The Death Eaters were feared throughout the Wizarding World. Under the following of Voldemort, they would heartlessly murder those who didn’t believe their Pure-Blooded ideology. During the First Wizarding War, the Order of the Phoenix was assembled in opposition to the Death Eaters. Following Voldemort’s infamous defeat, the Death Eaters remained loyal to their leader and reassembled 13 years later once the Dark Lord had returned. Due to their extreme views regarding blood status, the majority of Death Eaters are from Pure-Blooded wizarding families, but where did the evil group originate from?
How Long Have Death Eaters Been Around?
Before the Dark Lord reinvented himself, he was known as Tom Marvolo Riddle. As Harry Potter fans will know, Riddle attended Hogwarts, and was sorted into Slytherin. During his time at Hogwarts, Riddle began assembling a group of Slytherin students, forming a group which would later be known as the Death Eaters. Riddle promptly installed himself as this group’s leader. Although these members would often be referred to as young Voldemort’s friends, Riddle failed to form any meaningful attachments with his ‘followers’, and merely manipulated them for his own gain. Some of the group members joined out of fear, whilst others shared Riddle’s hunger for power – in true Slytherin fashion. During the group’s time at Hogwarts, they terrorized the school and created a sense of fear among their peers. However, the group remained discreet, and their mischief was never traced back to them. As a result, Tom Riddle was able to maintain his facade as the perfect student.
Following his departure from Hogwarts, Riddle started to form an even bigger group of followers. Many of these followers were recruited from Riddle’s original group at Hogwarts. Riddle originally referred to his followers as the Knights of Walpurgis, however, this would later be changed to the Death Eaters.
The Death Eaters devoted themselves to Lord Voldemort. They believed that their leader was immortal and would amend the Wizarding World with his extreme Pure-Blooded ideology. Voldemort believed in the supremacy of Pure-Blooded wizards and took a bigoted hatred towards Muggle-Borns and Half-Bloods. Voldemort preached this harmful ideology to his followers who became dangerously power-hungry, believing that they possessed the ‘superior’ blood status.
Before the onset of the First Wizarding War, Voldemort had gathered an alarming number of followers. The Death Eaters now outnumbered the Order of the Phoenix by approximately twenty to one. Even after Voldemort’s defeat in the First Wizarding War, the Death Eaters remained loyal, believing that their Dark Lord would return. However, the group would be severely punished for their crimes, with many Death Eaters being imprisoned in Azkaban.
Even though there were plenty of evil witches and wizards who preceded the Death Eaters, such as Gellert Grindelwald, Voldemort’s followers are arguably the most notorious band of twisted individuals in the Wizarding World. Ultimately, the Death Eaters would not have existed without Voldemort’s influence. He fed his followers a stream of misplaced ideology, and even scared a few of them into cooperation. As previously mentioned, the group dates back to Voldemort’s years at Hogwarts, making the Death Eaters irreversibly linked to the Dark Lord. The infamous group is undoubtedly home to some memorable Harry Potter characters, but who is the most famous Death Eater?
Who is the most famous Death Eater?
The group contains many infamous individuals, who are renowned for their evil deeds. For example, Lucius Malfoy is a famous Death Eater, who is renowned for inflicting his extreme Pure-Blood ideology upon his son, Draco Malfoy. After the First Wizarding War, Lucius famously avoided a stay in Azkaban by providing evidence against his fellow Death Eaters. As a result, he was deemed untrustworthy and cowardly. However, following Voldemort’s return, Lucius regained his status as a prominent Death Eater, and even forced Draco to join this notorious group of evil individuals.
Peter Pettigrew is another renowned Death Eater. The unlikeable character is famed for his betrayal of the Potter family, which resulted in Lily and James being killed by Voldemort. Although he is often dismissed as a coward, Pettigrew was responsible for Voldemort’s return to the Wizarding World in physical form, making him a significant member of the Death Eaters.
As Harry Potter fans will know, Severus Snape was once a loyal Death Eater. However, following the death of Lily Potter, Snape famously switched sides, and instead became a double agent for Dumbledore. Following this revelation in the Deathly Hallows, Snape is widely remembered for this incredible act of courage, separating him from the other Death Eaters.
Whilst there are numerous memorable Death Eaters in the Harry Potter universe, who is the most famous follower of Lord Voldemort? Arguably, Bellatrix Lestrange ranks above them all and she is widely regarded as the most twisted member of the Death Eaters. She was feared among the Wizarding World and was renowned for her deranged obsession with the Dark Lord. Bellatrix is despised for brutally murdering her own cousin, Sirius Black. She was also responsible for the death of Dobby, the beloved House Elf. Many Harry Potter fans will recall Bellatrix’s malicious torturing of Hermione Granger in which she inscribed the derogatory word ‘Mudblood’ on her arm. The feared witch was also involved in the mindless torturing of Neville Longbottom’s parents, which ultimately drove them to insanity. Bellatrix’s list of evil deeds is infinite, making her the most famous, and the most terrifying, Death Eater by far.